1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for downloading information from a wireless local loop (WLL) system to terminals and, in particular, to a method for downloading information to a plurality of terminals using a paging channel.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, a mobile communication system implies a communication system to moving objects, such as human beings, automobiles, trains, and airplanes. Exemplary mobile communication systems include key phone systems, mobile phones (cellular phones and car phones), harbor phones, airplane phones, mobile pay phones (installed in trains, excursion ships and express buses), wireless pagers, wireless phones, satellite mobile communication systems, amateur wireless systems, and fishery wireless systems. In addition, the WLL serves subscriber lines connecting a telephone office to subscriber terminals using a wireless system, instead of using wired lines.
In the WLL, the terminal includes an externally-accessible serial port. The terminal, connected to a control device through the serial port, monitors an operation state of internal software, detects internally-stored data, and downloads a new software version for upgrading. A related downloading method in a mobile communication system will now be explained.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the related method for downloading information from the mobile communication system to the mobile communication terminals. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for downloading information to the terminals and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the related method for downloading information to the terminals.
Referring to FIG. 1, in order to download information to the terminal, the communication system includes a terminal 10, having a built-in serial port 11, and a base station subsystem 40 that communicates to the terminal 10 through a wireless section. The base station subsystem 40 includes a base station 20 and a base station controller 30 for managing the base station 20. In addition, the communication system includes a control device 12 connected to the serial port 11 of the terminal 10, for controlling the terminal 10, and a control device 22 connected to the base station 20, for controlling the base station 20.
The related method for controlling the terminal (mingled with a mobile station) and the base station or upgrading software in the mobile communication system will now be described with reference to FIG. 2. To upgrade the software stored in the terminal 10, the terminal 10 drives a communication program and confirms a normal operation of the serial port 11. The serial port 11 of the terminal 10 is connected to the control device 12 through a cable (ST1 and ST2). If the serial port 11 is operating normally, the terminal 10 confirms whether an upgrade switch of the terminal 10 is pressed or not (ST3). If the upgrade switch of the terminal 10 is pressed, the terminal drives a boot program and determines a downloading area (ST 4 and ST5).
If the downloading area is determined, an execute file is downloaded to the terminal 10 by a downloading command and the downloaded execute file is stored in a memory of the terminal 10 (ST6 and ST7). After the downloading process is finished, the stored execute file is driven by a start command of the user (ST8). That is, the control device is connected directly to the serial port to control the terminal or upgrade the program, in the related art. On the other hand, the related downloading method can be implemented through a signal channel. In the signal channel, a call is set up in a call setup procedure and the base station and the terminals are connected one to one (1:1), thereby reducing a downloading speed. Accordingly, the related method for downloading information data to the mobile communication terminal has a disadvantage in that terminal subscribers should move to a downloading area to download information data. To upgrade software of the widely-distributed terminals requires considerable time and expense. Moreover, the downloading speed is decreased.